Bringing Your Kitten Home
Have the essentials ready before bringing home your kitten. You’ll want to cat-proof your home , and have fresh water as well as a clean litter box and extra litter.
A cat’s scratching and hunting instincts run deep provide her with scratching posts, toys and even a plain old cardboard box she’ll love it! Remember that her diet is key to maintaining this energy level. Choosing the best kitten food will establish a lifetime of healthy eating habits.
Take your kitty to the veterinarian soon after adoption for a physical screening, and so you can discuss a vaccine schedule with the vet. You might also consider microchipping which, as the Chicago Cat Clinic notes, is the best way to find a lost cat.
Right Age For Cat Parents
Several experts suggest children are not fully mature to handle a pet until the age of six years though some sources also state that you can get yourself a cat as soon as you celebrate your third birthday.
Although the saying if the dog is the best friend of a grown-up person, the cat is the best buddy of a child is true, children need enough mental development to make sure they do not inadvertently harm a cat and are responsible enough to cater to their needs. If a child poses a risk, the cat too might react aggressively.
Gentle and Friendly Cat Breeds for a Child
Q How Old Do You Think Someone Should Be Before Theyre Not Allowed To Adopt My Mom Is 78 And Active But I Do Wonder If She Is Making A Good Decision Taking In A New Cat After Hers Died I Dont Want To Be Responsible For Another Pet If Something Happens To Her
A. The benefits of having animals in our lives are both scientifically proven and something we know in our hearts and souls. Animals are good for us, and thats undeniable. I do recognize, however, that we are not always good for animals, which is why shelters and rescue groups try so hard to screen out adopters who are not well suited to having a pet and why they work to find the perfect pet matches for those who are.
Ive written before about groups denying pet adoptions to families with children or not allowing small pets to be adopted to families with large ones, and in this case, my position is the same: I am not in favor of hard-and-fast rules when it comes to adoptions. I know that shelters and rescue groups have the very best of intentions in setting up their adoption policies, but I much prefer to see each pet and each potential adopter considered as an individual. I would rather see guidelines than rules, and thats because in my more than 30 years of practicing veterinary medicine, I have seen so many people who cared so much for their pets that theyd do anything for them. I know that among those people were pet owners who would not have been seen as ideal adopters in many cases.
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How To Judge The Age Of A Kitten Correctly
Consulting a kitten growth chart is the key: Knowing what weight kittens usually have at different ages as they grow can easily tell how much time has elapsed since a kittens birth. For instance, at the age of eight weeks an appropriate time to adopt a kitten it should weigh around one-and-a-half to two pounds. Similarly, if it weighs about three pounds, know that it has already reached 12 weeks of age.
However, note that the above formula only applies if the kitten is in a good state of health. If you choose to adopt a frail or sick kitten, you might need to check if it can walk, has teeth, and can open its eyes.
Kittens: When Is It Okay To Separate Them From Their Mothers
It is hard to resist the cuteness of a brand new baby kitten, especially if you see one that appears to be a stray. You fear for his safety and want to help, but is taking him in the best option for his health and safety? Taking kittens away from their mothers can actually be quite dangerous for them, even when you have the best intentions. Kittens who have been separated from their mothers too soon are often more likely to exhibit inappropriate behaviors, struggle with interacting with other cats and humans, and are at a higher risk for health complications. In the wild, kittens usually remain with their mothers until they reach sexual maturity or until the mother gets pregnant again. When keeping kittens as pets, it is important to know the timeline of their development before separating them from their mothers prematurely.
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Do Kitten Proof The House
Kittens explore with paw pats, licking and biting. Chomping or clawing electrical cords or poisonous plants, swallowing string toys or hiding inside the clothes dryer can be deadly. Invest in knee pads and crawl around on your hands and knees for a kittens-eye view of potential dangers.
Hand-raised newborn kittes need to be fed every 4 hours or so with an appropriate kitten milk replacement.
Do Kittens Miss Their Siblings
a) Kittens who have been separated during the early weeks of life will forget each other. Young kittens often miss their mom and siblings and show signs of separation anxiety after being taken into the new home. And once this happens, they typically forget their mom, brothers and sisters and adopt their new family.
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Kittens Younger Than 8 Weeks With Their Mother
Leave Them Be! Kittens who are healthy and thriving with their mother outdoors do not need to be rescued.
Remember: Mother knows best. You cannot replace a mother cats instinctive care. Plus, neonatal kittens need round-the-clock care to survivewhich is challenging for humans to provide. These kittens are unweaned, meaning they still rely on their mothers milk.
What To Expect When You Adopt A Kitten
- Let Your Cat Settle In. …
- Keep Your New Cat Separate From Your Other Cats. …
- Have Her Space Set up Beforehand. …
- Provide Enrichment for Your Cat. …
- Establish Structure and Routine. …
- Slowly Transition to New Cat Food. …
- Establish a Relationship With a Veterinarian. …
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Related questions: 26
We’ve handpicked 26 related questions for you, similar to «When should kittens be adopted?» so you can surely find the answer!
- Most kittens can be adopted once they reach eight weeks of age, but British Shorthair kittens are usually adopted at 12 weeks because of their slow maturity. This is about the time that its believed British Shorthair kittens start to bond with humans. So, breeders will often wait 12 or more weeks to allow them to be adopted.
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kittens from siblings from when Whenkitten 8 weeksadopt 8weeks
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Why Should Pet Owners Wait Until The Kitten Is Older
Many new cat owners are keen to get their kitten as soon as possible, and as early as possible. After all, who doesnt love a tiny little ball of fluff? However, adopting a kitten who is too young can have consequences that may last throughout the cats life.
- Kittens need their mother and littermates to teach them manners. As kittens will play with mum and their siblings, they learn cat socialisation skills. Picking up body language, boundaries and playing skills from the other cats.
- Kittens need time to build up a strong immune system. Mums milk is full of antibodies that help to protect your kitten from disease. Even after the kitten has started solids, he is still nursing from mum and getting the benefits of these antibodies.
- Kittens should not leave their home until they have had their vaccinations.
- Most breeders and cat shelters spay or neuter a kitten before it leaves for its new home. With shelters bursting at the seams with unwanted cats, taking this approach is the responsible way. Purebred breeders do not generally sell un-desexed cats unless you are a registered breeder.
Consider The Older Cats Health Issues
When I agreed to take Prince Albert home, I asked a family member of his former owner what veterinarian he had been taken to. Soon, I took him there for a complete check-up and to learn his past history. I learned that his glazed-over apparently blind eye was not a cataract but was most likely from an injury.
I also learned that his blood work was good, his organs were working well, and that he could live a much longer life. Oh, great, I thought, especially when I got the vet bill for $160. Im stuck with this old, incontinent cat till death do us part. And I was just trying to do a favor.
A new, pampered life for Prince Albert
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Plants Harmful To Your Kitten
Several house or outdoor plants can be dangerous to your kitten, including chrysanthemum, azalea, tulip bulbs, and oleander. Lilies are particularly poisonous to cats, and even small amounts can make your kitten very sick. Not sure if a particular plant is kitty-safe? Talk to your vet. And if you think they have eaten something poisonous, call your vet right away, or call the Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.
What If The Kittens Are In Danger
If a kitten is sick or injured, contact your local veterinarian right away if your kittens show these signs:
- Signs of a sick kitten include:
- Thin¯stomachs¯¯¯and gaunt faces, visible¯ribs and spine
- Cold¯ears, bellies,¯and¯paws
- Pale gums and tongue
- Excessively crusted eyes¯or nose
- Diarrhea¯or vomiting
Signs of an injured kitten include:
- Visible wounds or sores
- Crying out in pain
There may be rare circumstances in which the kittens current environment places them in immediate danger. This is not a common scenario, so use common sense. For example, kittens may need to be removed if they are in an area that is¯about to be flooded or is close to a fire.
If possible, move the kittens to another outdoor spot as close to their original nest as is safe so their mother can find them.
If you believe mother and kittens are in more long-term danger, such as extreme weather or disaster conditions
- Bring the whole family inside to a quiet, small room . You can also use a large dog crate, covered with a blanket.
- Provide the mother cat and kittens with a carrier as a hiding place. Provide food¯and water, and a litter box placed as far away from the sleeping and eating area as possible.
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Introducing Your New Kitten To Your Old Cat
Dont Take Kittens Or Their Mother To An Animal Shelter
Most shelters do not have programs to provide the care¯unweaned¯kittens¯need¯to survive¯and thrive.¯As a result, there is a risk that the kittens¯will be killed.¯Shelters in general are not good environments for mother cats and kittens. Even in the best of shelters a mother cat can become so stressed that her healthy is affected, as well as her ability to care for her kittens. The shelter environment can also be dangerous for kittens because their immune systems havent fully developed, and can easily catch diseases.
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When You Visit The Kitten
Before committing yourself, always visit the kitten and meet its mother in the place it was bred. They should stay with their mothers until theyre around 8-9 weeks .
A kitten should be sociable and alert, with bright eyes and no visible health problems. Work through our Kitten Checklist to help you remember what to look out for and ask, such as:
- Can you see the kitten with his/her mother?
- Is the mother healthy? Friendly?
- Are there many other cats or litters of kittens in the home?
- Is the kittens environment clean?
- Does the kitten look healthy?
Its worth bearing in mind that purebred cats can be more prone to health problems. In addition, dont buy a kitten younger than six months old from anyone other than the breeder. Not only is it illegal, its a warning sign that the kitten could be illegally farmed.
The Risks Of Bringing A Kitten Home Too Soon
If youve fallen in love with a kitten under 8 weeks old, its easy to feel tempted to bring them home. But a few weeks of patience will pay off in the long runand the risks of taking them home too early can affect the rest of your cats life, Dr. Kornreich says.
If you adopt cats before that really early socialization period is taking place, they may be more aggressive with other cats and with people. They may not feel safe and be more skittish, he explains.
Your kitten may not have good cat manners either, Koski says. If he doesnt know about bite inhibition, maybe he plays a little too rough, is a little bit quicker to lash out, she explains. You can help curb this behavior by taking a cue from mama cats: If your kitten is showing signs of aggression when they play with you, get up and walk away. Thats exactly what their mom would do, says Koski. Still, she adds, an easier and more effective solution would be to let your kitten learn these lessons straight from their mom.
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Do Let The Kitten Pick You
My offered this great comment and gave me permission to add to the list:
Dont pick out the kitten. Let it pick you. Its easy to be attracted to the one you think is the cutest or the prettiest, but that may not be the right one for you. Ive always gone to the shelter with a couple of hours free time when getting a kitten or cat. Our shelter back in Washington had a big cat room with all the cats together. Id sit in a chair and let the kittens come to me, then see how each interacted with me and which one wanted the most to be with me.
Here, there isnt a cat room, so I had the worker bring kittens one at a time and played with them. The prettiest one turned out to be skittish around people, another just sat in the corner and stared. Finally, about eight kittens later, she brought one in that walked up, sniffed at me, climbed up on my lap and made it clear to us that shed chosen me to be her human. A year later, Cenerentola still spends much of her time climbing on my lap and shoulders or sleeping by my feet when shes not playing with the other cat.
What else have I missed? Are there other DOs and DONTs that are important to include when planning your new kittens gotcha day? Please share!
All the Kitten Must-Knows!
Everything You Need To Know About Kitten Season
Kitten season, also known as feline breeding season, occurs throughout the summer months .
Outdoor-living stray and feral cats, as well as pet cats who venture outside, will collide. During the roughly seven-day period in heat, female cats can have many interactions with male cats.
In the same litter, female cats can bear kittens from various dads. This is why kittens from the same litter can have such a wide range of appearances.
Outdoor female cats who do not have a season that lasts only a few months can occasionally have many litters in one season because the season lasts more than half the year.
Cats are pregnant for around two months and have four to six kittens at a time.
Thousands of kittens are born during kitten season months. As a result, housing, feeding, and caring for kittens takes a lot of time, money, and resources for shelters that take in newborns in this season. So, this is the best time of year to adopt a kitten.
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